Christian Prayer For Peace With

Christian Prayer for Peace with Iraq Lord of hope and compassion, Friend of Abraham Who called our father in faith to journey to a new future, We remember before you the country of Iraq from which he was summoned Ancient land of the Middle East, realm of the two rivers, Birthplace of great cities and of civilization. May we who name ourselves children of Abraham, Call to mind all the peoples of the Middle East who honour him as father. Those who guard and celebrate the Torah, Those for whom the Word has walked on earth and lived among us Those who follow their prophet, who listened for the word in the desert And shaped a community after what he heard. Lord of reconciliation, God of the painful sacrifice uniting humankind We long for the day when you will provide for all nations of the earth your blessing of peace. But now when strife and war are at hand, help us to see in each other a family likeness, our inheritance from our one father Abraham. Keep hatred from the threshhold of our hearts, and preserve within us a generous spirit which recognizes in both foe and friend a common humanity. This we ask in the name of the one who came to offer us the costly gift of abundant life. (In Arabic Abraham is often called "El Khalil" which means 'the Friend [of God]'. Ur and Haran, the cities from which, according to Genesis, Abraham was summond by God both lie within the territory of modern Iraq.)